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And then move up to the proper tee.

In an effort to make golf more fun — and attract new golfers to stem the flow in droves of players leaving the game — golf is moving ahead with a program called "Tee it Forward," which prods golf courses across the land to implement course layouts that are easier to play, faster to play, yet still challenging. In doing so — by perhaps adding new tee boxes — players won't face 200-yard carries over water or a ravine, 450-yard par-4s with out-of-bounds on the right, or 240-yard par-3s with water hazards guarding the green.

The new layouts provide options for players of all handicaps — with hopes of finally reaching players who for whatever reason insist on playing from tees that do not match their playing skills. It is these golfers — who don't break 100 but take joy in telling people they played from the tips — that certainly could benefit from this program.

Following a successful pilot launch of Tee it Forward in July 2011 — more than 237,000 golfers played from forward tees during the promotional period — the PGA of America and the United States Golf Association have partnered and are stepping up their promotion of the program.

Once know as Tierra too-hard-a for its intimidating and scorecard-deflating ways, the course offers black tees, blue tees, white tees, gold tees — and now green tees. Whole-heartedly embracing the philosophy of the Tee it Forward program, Tierra Rejada carved out a demanding yet not overwhelming layout called The Players Course from its existing, Bob Cupp-designed track. By adding tee boxes, Tierra Rejada now has a course that plays to 5,600 yards and a par of 72, yet it is far from a pushover. Yes, the course is short and the landing areas more accessible, but strategy and confrontation still await players of all handicaps.

For instance, the third hole is a 476-yard, tight monster with trouble on both sides of the fairway from the black tees. On The Players Course, it's 290 yards with trouble on both sides of the fairways. Downwind from 290, it's drivable, but danger lurks around the green. If you choose to lay up with a mid-iron, it's not easy — a large bunker on the left must be avoided.

Again, you have options on The Players Course.

Take, as another example, the par-5 fifth hole. From the back tees, it's 583 uphill, bending yards to a well-protected green. On The Players Course, it's a 445-yarder that still demands power and precision.

None of the par-3s on The Players Course are longer than 185 yards, but all are deceptively threatening if you miss the green. And you might not find a more enjoyable par-3 than the 17th, which measures a mere 118 downhill yards but is a good reproduction of the famous Postage Stamp hole at Royal Troon Golf Club in Scotland, which features drop-offs surrounding the miniature putting surface. If you hit the green, you still have some wicked breaking putts to contend with. Miss the green and — well, good luck.

Golf will always be a macho sport and golfers will always be stubborn. But give Tee it Forward a chance — at least once — and you might enjoy shooting 85 from 5,600 yards far more than shooting 98 from 7,000 yards.

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